Investigation of gastrointestinal parasites of dogs in Burdur city, Trkiye

The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites of dogs in the Burdur city and to assess the risk factors for public health. The material of the study consisted of fecal samples collected from a total of 156 owned and stray dogs of different ages and sexes, including 82 animals from the city center and 74 from rural areas. The parasitological examination of the fecal samples was performed by native fecal examination, Fulleborn's flotation, and Benedict's sedimentation methods. Thirty-five of the samples (22.4%) were found to be positive for various parasites. Eight different parasite species were identified, including 4 nematodes, 3 protozoans, and 1 cestode. The most prevalent species were Ancylostomatidae spp. (9.6%), followed by Toxocara canis (5.1%), Isospora spp. (5.1%), Giardia spp. (1.9%), Toxascaris leonina (1.3%), Taenia spp. (1.3%), and Sarcocystis spp. (1.3%). It was determined that 28 of the 156 dogs (17.9%) were infected with a single parasite species, 6 (3.8%) with two parasite species, and 1 (0.6%) with three different species. Differences in prevalence rates between groups of different age, sex, or ownership status were not statistically significant, but the difference between dogs from different locations was highly significant (P < 0.0001). The present study found zoonotic parasites to be highly prevalent, which suggests that control measures are needed to reduce the risks of contamination and infection with these parasites for animals and humans, given the close relationship between dogs and humans.